Reporting Requirements for the Annual Report and 2019-20 Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR)

Reporting Requirements for the Annual Report and 2019-20 Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR)

December 7, 2021 | Grants Management

The countdown has begun! No, not for New Years (although 2022 is not far off!), but rather for the public hearing to share your Charter District’s annual TAPR results. All LEAs must hold a public hearing to discuss the annual report within 90 days of the reports being released by TEA. The main portion of the annual report is the State-issued TAPR report (PDF version) that was released on December 3, 2021. Today’s article will explain the annual reporting requirements and provide resources to help you get the job done.

Does this requirement apply to charter schools?

Yes! All Academic Accountability requirements apply to charter schools. Student performance on the TAPR reports is shown disaggregated by student groups, including ethnicity and socioeconomic status. The reports also provide extensive information on school and district staff, programs, and student demographics.

The CSS Federal Team will be working with our charter school clients to facilitate the distribution of the Annual Report and TAPR according to TEA guidelines.

What must be included in the Annual Report?

The PDF TAPR comprises the main part of the district’s annual report, and it must be published in the same format as provided by TEA. A district’s annual report must also include:

  1. PEIMS Financial Standard Reports (2019-20 Financial Actual Reports)
  2. District Accreditation Status
  3. Campus Performance Objectives (from each Campus Improvement Plan or Charter Instructional Plan) and progress toward meeting those objectives
  4. Special Education Determination Status (on cover page of PDF TAPR)
  5. Report on Violent or Criminal Incidents/ Findings that resulted from evaluations conducted under the Safe/Drug Free Communities Act of 1994
  6. Student Performance in Post-secondary Institutions
  7. Each campus awarded a distinction designation or rated F (not applicable for 2021 because Not Rated: Declared State of Disaster was assigned to all campuses and no distinction designations were awarded)

Districts may also include supplemental information, such as:

  • A narrative describing their schools;
  • Additional data, charts, and diagrams; or
  • An explanation of the data prepared by TEA
  • A copy of the TAPR Glossary of Terms in English and Spanish

In addition to publishing the complete PDF TAPR in its annual report, a district can develop and release a summarized report showing performance on key indicators. This summary must clearly indicate where and how to obtain a copy of the full report. A detailed handout regarding annual reporting requirements can be found here in the 2020-21 TAPR Guidelines.

What is new for this year’s TAPR report?

Due to the cancellation of 2020 spring STAAR testing, 2020 STAAR data will not be included for comparison to 2021. The report will display 2019 and 2021 STAAR data for comparison.

Previously, there were both a PDF version and longer HTML version of the TAPR Report. The longer, HTML version has now been separated into a separate system called TPRS (Texas Performance Reporting System). Only the PDF version of the TAPR report is used for the annual reporting requirement.

What if I find inaccurate data in my report?

By the time the TAPR is published, the window of time to correct inaccurate data submitted by a district has already closed.

  • Corrections to PEIMS data used in the TAPR must be made according to the procedures described in the PEIMS Data Standards.
  • Corrections to STAAR results, college admissions test data, Advanced Placement tests, or International Baccalaureate tests must be handled through the appropriate testing contractor.

A district may include in its annual report an explanation of any discrepancies between the TAPR and locally computed data.

What are the Reporting Requirements?

  1. Each district’s board of trustees must hold a public hearing to discuss the district’s annual report within 90 calendar days from 12/3/21. Winter Break is excluded and does not count toward the 90 days, but weekends do count outside of the holiday period!
    • The hearing may be combined with a regularly scheduled meeting of the local board of trustees.
    • Districts must notify property owners, parents, and others standing in a parental relationship to students of the hearing. This notification can be in the form of a press release and must be made available to local print and electronic media (i.e., newspaper, radio, and television).
    • The notification must clearly state the date, time, and place of the hearing and explain the nature of the hearing.
  2. Within two weeks following the public meeting, each district must widely publish its annual report, including posting it on the district website and other public places.
    • Districts must now use the PDF TAPR report when publishing or presenting the annual report.
    • To accommodate those without internet access, a copy of the annual report should be made available in public places such as school offices, local businesses, or public libraries.
    • Districts may also distribute copies through email, standard mail, or by sending the reports home with students.
    • Each district is responsible for finding the most efficient method of making the annual reports widely available to the public.
  1. Texas Education Code §39.362 requires each district to post the most recent TAPR on its website by the 10th instructional day of the school year. This responsibility is separate from widely releasing the annual report to the public. While statute does not require a district to update its website with the latest TAPR after the 10th instructional day, TEA strongly encourages districts to update their websites with the 2020-21 TAPR.

Where do I find my charter district TAPR documents?

You can access them here at the TEA 2020-21 TAPR Reports website.  Please be sure not to go into the larger TPRS system. The wider TPRS system is too large to use for public reporting, but it is an excellent resource to dive deeper into campus or district academic performance.

Summary

  • Advertise the meeting date you plan to hold your Annual Report public hearing
  • Hold the public hearing within 90 calendar days from 12/3/21, Winter Break excluded — May be in conjunction with a regularly scheduled Board Meeting.
  • Within 2 weeks of your hearing, publish the Annual Report to your school’s website and make it available for those who don’t have internet access

Have questions or need assistance?

Please contact:

Want to discuss this topic?

Visit the Charter School Community Roundtable now to ask questions, get answers and discuss!